WG/radio/99%Boston

99% Boston, "Working Class Wednesday"

"99% Boston," nicknamed "Working Class Wednesdays," is a lively and irreverent show featuring some of the beautiful dreamers that lived and worked at the Occupy Boston encampment until it was destroyed by Boston Police in December 2011. In the months that followed, these activists clashed with cops in DC, NYC and Chicago, some returning with stitches or broken ribs to prove it. The show is hosted by John Stephen Dwyer and was podcast live on Occupy Boston Radio on Wednesdays at 8 pm from April 2012 to August 2012. It has been on hiatus since Dwyer and co-hosts started "Banned in Boston" 8 pm Thursdays on UNregular Radio, but "99% Boston" will be returning to Occupy Boston Radio in 2013. Several episodes of "99% Boston" are available here for streaming or download.

Debut Episode (April 11, 2012 – 76 minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guests Patrick Doherty, John Ford, John Murphy, Nelson Terry, and Zoe White. There were some sound problems, and it's a really silly episode, but the gang obviously had lots of fun making it. It goes quiet for a few seconds near the 55 and the 69 minute mark before starting back up. Topics include the "Blunts and Blankets" marijuana activism event on Boston Common, NDAA 2012, the "rat bloc," dumpster diving in Greater Boston, Camp Charlie at the Massachusetts State House, and the Burger King Safer Spaces Agreement.

Burning Bridges (April 25, 2012 – 52 minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guests Patrick Doherty, Stephanie Fail, John Ford, John Murphy, and Nelson Terry. There are a lot of laughs here although the first few minutes of the episode are missing and conversation sometimes gives way to chaos. Topics include May Day, trolling Facebook, Occupy the Hood, Occupy the Capitol, Occupy Hyannis, Occupy Holyoke, the disbanding of Occupy Boston's Media Team, the sleepful protest called “Camp America” in front of Bank of America HQ, and guessing which one of the gang is a cop.

Sage Advice (May 16, 2012 – 57 minutes) was tech produced by Matt Womer with Sage Radachowsky bringing his music as the first guest. This was broadcast the night the gang left for protests against NATO in Chicago and guests Nelson Terry, John Murphy, Lauren Chalas, and John Ford arrive as the show progresses. Topics include police culture, name calling, feudalism, a hidden cure for cancer, grade school rebelliousness, life in the mountains of Nepal, Occupy Oakland and the Oakland Commune, jury nullification, restorative justice and the obsolescence of NATO.

Home from Chicago (May 30th, 2012 – 73 Minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guests Mike Figa, Rene Perez, and Nicole Sullivan. This episode centers around protests against NATO that took place May 15-22, 2012 in Chicago. The gang discusses humorous mishaps during the trip from Boston, the so-called “NATO 3” activists arrested on terrorism charges, black bloc and pushing against police lines, Nicole Sullivan's broken ribs, Richard Harding Wood's ten stitches in the head, John Dwyer's encounter with Jesse Jackson, and Chicago Police hitting a protestor with a van.

The O Bomb (June 6, 2012 – 72 minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guests Meaghan Day, Patrick Doherty, Mark Joyce-Shore (bringing his music), Jay Kelly, and John Murphy. Topics include planning the future of Occupy Boston, use of taboo words in humor, the previous evening's GA, a return to Camp Charlie, Occupy Boston screen printing and sign making, actions on Boston Common, Mayor Menino, Occupy Falmouth, Canada, the Scott Walker recall and third party presidential candidates Jill Stein, Roseanne Barr, and Vermin Supreme. They also talk about Obama and his drones despite trying not to.

The Green Way (June 27th, 2012 – 104 Minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guests Lauren Chalas, Greg Murphy, Sage Radachowshy, and Rita Sebastian. This show has a different tone from previous episodes as these folks were brought into the studio specifically to share information about foraging, urban agriculture, community gardening and sustainability. Their discussion includes topics like “the underground chicken network” and how to catch a swarm of bees. This combination of people was so successful that their conversation was spun-off into its own weekly show called “The Green Way.”

Clean Up BPPA (July 11th, 2012 – 57 Minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guest Bil Lewis. Much of the episode is devoted to Bil's correspondence with James Carnell, editor of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association’s newsletter, as well as the nasty, sexist, bigoted content found within that publication. Later Bil talks about his trip to Philadelphia for the Occupy National Gathering that took place the week of Independence Day, his rumored membership in the Tea Party, and Scott Lively's book about gay Nazis, The Pink Swastika.

Chew on This (July 25th, 2012 – 78 Minutes) was tech produced by Chris Maxfield with guests Jamie Budden, Jen Elias, John Ford, Jay Kelly, Rene Perez, Nicole Sullivan, Nelson Terry. The show starts with a talk about deadly police violence in Anaheim, CA and the riots that followed. Discussion moves to similar killings in Dallas, TX and Lynn, MA before turning to the massacre in Aurora, CA and the subject of gun control. Lastly, a mention of Mayor Menino's squabble with Chick-fil-A leads to dialogue about fast food stores, gay marriage, white privilege, and recently-deceased astronaut Sally Ride.